Father Roebuck’s Groping Is More Proof of Priesthood Gripped By Problems

Editor’s note: According to our sources, the Office of Clergy handles adult victims of priests (meaning the sexual contact took place after age 18). Upon approval, those who have had a sexual relationship with a priest can receive a limited number of counseling sessions. The budget for this runs through Office of Clergy rather than the Office of Victim Assistance. Does this budget division allow sexual misconduct reporting to be skewed? The Office of Victim Assistance handles the actual services and paperwork.

Are these priests removed from ministry? Do parishioners have access to this history? No. Once again we can’t be part of the solution because we aren’t even aware of the problem until civil authorities step in. There is no chance of reform without transparency. Clearly, there are big problems within the priesthood. This isn’t fair to the priests who behave properly. This isn’t fair to parishioners who expect spiritual guidance.

Remember the article in Philadelphia Magazine that suggested the child sex abuse was covered up and overlooked because other priests in power had sins of their own to hide.

18 thoughts on “Father Roebuck’s Groping Is More Proof of Priesthood Gripped By Problems”

With 50% of the priesthood sexually active at any given time, as noted in an NCR story that I will try to find and post, there are a lot of sins to be hidden. First, the brotherhood is trained to not tell. Second, there is a lot to tell.

Bob do not put the name catholics4change with people’s comment..It is blog where people post comments just as you have posted your comments. We don’t own or claim your comments, Jim’s or anyone else .
Bob you are really, really angry and started the conversation calling us bigots. If as a mother who has encountered safety problems that I would like to fix for the kids in the archdiocese then I am a bigot in your mind so be it and I could care less. The children will always be my main concern..no matter how you twist that truth.You didn’t respond to some examples I gave you and I am not the least bit surprised. You think we hate the church ..well the children are the Church .Bob maybe not in your mind

Why are you so contemptuous? Where is your love and compassion?
I am an active catholic that seeks to stay informed. This site has afforded me the opportunity to do just that. I am not able to change much but I can pray for the church and those who have been hurt and help the children of today. As a catholic I have a responsibility and an obligation to seek and find the injustices that prevail to the fragile in our community. This means: give food to the hungry, homeless, imprisoned, those who need clothing. Its fourth grade stuff: These are corporal works of mercy. There are also spiritual works of mercy like to comfort people who suffer, be patient with others. and to teach people who are ignorant. So maybe you can see this site as a place for yourself, others and myself to learn of the injustices.
This site affords these works of mercy to happen. For you to be so cold-hearted toward victims and those who are helping here… don’t get it. I will pray for you Bob, because you lack the truth and an understanding heart.

If this site was the meal table for the homeless and hungry to break bread, your words are virtually knocking over the tables, kicking the servers, those seated and destroying the meal for those gathered to find nourishment.
God Bless you!

victims sister you ask Bob “why are you so contemptuous?” good question. The interesting thing is that Susan and I maintain relationships with so many people involved in this crisis from victims and their families…to priests and Church officials..and no one shows the hatred that Bob spews at us. Even when we have highlighted the mistakes or missteps and asked difficult questions..no type of response like Bob’s behavior. They also don’t put the word “abuse’ in quotes as if it is questionable. There is a Department of Victims Assistance at the archdiocese to help those who were harmed..then you have the Bob’s who seek out and attack those who were harmed..in the name of defending the Church. So in some cases the Church acts better than those defending the Church if that makes sense.

Kathy Kane. I am new to this site. and so I was a bit surprised at the lack of compassion from a person blogging here who claims to be catholic. Thank you for the clarification. You are right. Even the AD website acts better than BoB . Check it out Bob.http://childyouthprotection.org/ that

I am sure you are very well aware of the demeanor that is projected onto the victims/survivors on those other sites. Although extremely wrong and do not condone the actions of Bob I can understand.

I first lay fault with the blog authors themselves. I believe in their writings they are the ones who are the initial spark to start the fire that sets the mood. A mob mentality if you wish to call it that.

Although Bob and I are on different sides of the table. I will be the first to admit I too have fallen into the trap standing up for not only me but other victim/survivors.

Now pretend for a minute you are Bob in the 50ish, 60ish or even 70ish age bracket and you have been raised to respect the faith and its clergy and that clergy can do no wrong. It would be my thoughts if I was to defend Bob’s actions and name calling a bitter pill to swallow. It is a very hard thing to do for some people to face the reality which is the truth that people who you were taught only represented good could be so evil.

If you are familiar with the 5 stages of grief. I believe Bob and others like him after years are still on the first two stages, Denial and anger. While bargaining, depression and finally acceptance will eventually follow. He must know he plays a big role so that this on-going horror ends,

Dennis, I agree and this has been discussed on the site in the past. It is a bitter pill to swallow to accept something that is so difficult…I will say though that I have met men of the same generation you reference at vigils,meeting..not victims, just Catholic dads or grandfathers concerned about children who have been harmed and concerned about children’s safety . Church going ,pew sitting men. One recently passed away from cancer but was at meetings etc..while he was ill..I think he was about 80 years old.

I do understand your example of the generation and culture but I have met far too many men of that same age bracket who are the polar opposite of the “Bob’s” there is something deeper to illicit that anger. Remember when Rich was attacked by the priest…many priests do not attack victims outside of Churches..this priest was so angry he attacked him screaming ,cursing.the anger and rage. Then that same priest was arrested a year later for soliciting prostitution and drugs..Rich touched a nerve by his mere presence..that priest was not defending the church in his rage..he was covering for himself. A nerve was touched to illicit that anger..that is how I perceive the similar reaction you see here at times.

There are a lot of 50..60 and 70 year old Catholic men who own computers and attacking victims would be the last way they would spend their time.

Dennis a funny story..when I went to one of the first vigils outside of the Archdiocese..a few older men were walking down the street to where we were standing. They slowed as they got to where we were..I thought, “well here are the people that are going to heckle us”..but no..the older men were the ones with the signs for the vigil:)

….and you maybe 100% right that Bob may have some underlying reason for his attacks. I only hope that Bob is not a cancer that will spread to a site where people come to read and write of their experiences helping those who need like myself a shoulder to lean on sometimes by people who have walked in my shoes. Something no therapy session can provide.

Dennis I would not give it a second thought…this happens from time to time and then when we turn out to not be the Church haters that they want us to be..it dies down.

You spoke of your anger and losing it at times..I have too. Joe B if you are reading this I think I treated you a bit unfair a few weeks back. It was a difficult time for so many people and your one comment set me off..more than it should have. I also think that we speak so much about the truth on C4C that some of us,myself included,have given Joe B a hard time in not believing that he didn’t pick up on the fact that many of his classmates at the seminary turned out to be some of the most notorious abusers. Joe,I believe you..I should not have taken your truth and mocked it in any way.

Why am I not shocked by these headlines today ? Am I becoming numb to the actions of the catholic church ? Will I no longer care about the people who so sadly were forced to walk in my shoes and who had to suffer my experiences ? Will I be forced to accept defeat as I was forced to accept my abuse.

Please Lord, give me and others the strength to be a voice to see the wrongs be righted.

Although this video clip does not have anything to do about the church abuse scandal I would like to post it because it shows the continued strength of those who have been sexually abused. I have been told there is a complete YOU TUBE video of this young lady facing her abuser.

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(Matthew 10:26-27)

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